Control Denied - The Fragile Art Of Existence review
| Band: | Control Denied |
| Album: | The Fragile Art Of Existence |
| Style: | Progressive metal |
| Release date: | May 1999 |
Disc I
01. Consumed
02. Breaking The Broken
03. Expect The Unexpected
04. What If...?
05. When The Link Becomes Missing
06. Believe
07. Cut Down
08. The Fragile Art Of Existence
Disc II [Reissue bonus]
01. Consumed [1999 demo]
02. When The Link Becomes Missing [1999 demo]
03. The Fragile Art Of Existence [1999 demo]
04. Breaking The Broken [1999 demo]
05. Breaking The Broken [1999 demo with Chuck Schuldiner on vocals]
06. Believe [1997 demo]
07. What If...? [1997 demo]
08. Cut Down [1997 demo]
09. Tune Of Evil [Chuck Schuldiner comedy demo]
I could write about this album for days, weeks, even months - this album had its past, present and future, because of its tight connections with other bands and excellent musicians, so its not easy for me to put it short, but I'll try:
This album was Chuck's long time wish, which he eventually made possible through Control Denied. Whenever I try to briefly describe that band to someone, I say: Death with real vocalist. And basically, thats what it is - Chuck took crew from the last Death's album, supported with vocalist Tim Aymar, and recording of the album could begin.
The album starts and continues with full power, all the way to the end, so there's not much time to take breath. From opener "Consumed" to 10 minutes long tittle track masterpiece, you're gonna have hard time trying to find bad point. All instruments can be clearly heard, which is important because the band consisted of excellent musicians already proved on battlefield. There's no need to talk about Schuldiner's guitar work - once again he delivers some great riffs and also some more melodic stuff. Richard Christy and Shannon Hamm already earned good reputation with Death, and did not disappoint with this one either.
I will probably sound evil to say that I'm happy that bassist Scot Clendenin couldn't make it to the recording, but that's because he made room for fretless bass wizard - Mr. Steve DiGiorgio himself! He came right on time to make this album even better, and I'm pretty convinced that you can find some of his best work on this album.
Chuck made himself relief by passing the vocalist throne to Tim Aymar, vocalist of amazing range and powerful voice, balancing from raging screams to perfect melodic singing. This was also part of Schuldiner's "dreams come true" because his shrieking voice was big obstacle for many, lets say, more conservative people to enjoy his music. This album was first (and sadly also the last) step to take his music to the next level, and acquire wider audience.
In music and lyrics you can basically see continuation of late Death's work. You can easily recognize Schuldiner's style in songwriting and lyrical themes. Once again, lyrics are mainly psychological and social, with Schuldiner's critical view on the world, deeply inspired by dark emotions like fear, despair and anger - but often very optimistic in the end. The biggest irony you will find in song "Expect the Unexpected" - if you consider that Chuck wrote it right before he was diagnosed with brain tumor.
What should I say in the end?
I think that this album, often erroneously labeled as power metal by media, definitely deserves more attention, at lest with fans of Death and progressive music. It could have been maybe even better, if they had some more time, but it seems that nobody expected the unexpected.
Comments
Comments: 23
Visited by: 281 users
| Katatronik Angel of Lust Posts: 1018 From: Italy  |
Simply a masterpiece IMO! You were a genius Chuck, we miss you so much...
---- "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." Howard Phillips Lovecraft
Loading...
|
| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 60959 From: Sweden  |
Good job man  Its nice album even i dunno it so much but its still good, About Death type of lyrics i gonna read them
---- Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!! Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''  apos;'[image] I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
|
| Stalker Lone wanderer Posts: 2705 From: Serbia  |
Written by Bad English on 19.09.2007 at 15:21 Yeah, read them, theyre good!
---- 
Loading...
|
| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 60959 From: Sweden |
Written by Stalker on 19.09.2007 at 15:33 Now you're not virgin(in rewews)
---- Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!! Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die'' apos;'[image] I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
|
| Stalker Lone wanderer Posts: 2705 From: Serbia |
Written by Bad English on 19.09.2007 at 15:35 HAHAH, lol seems im not
----
Loading...
|
| Opium Account deleted |
Opium
Account deleted
Just to note, although it's well-known amongst many of the fans, it was still left out in the review, although it's not absolutely important: Warrel Dane was originally requested for the vocal duties, however, he declined  Good album, not 100% solid, since it lacked on a couple of tracks. Mind you, Chuck never made a flawless album in terms of enjoyability.
Loading...
|
| Stalker Lone wanderer Posts: 2705 From: Serbia |
Written by Guest on 19.09.2007 at 16:02 Youre right, I should have mention that, but then agian, it didnt have impact on work... I mean, it was just thought, and they found another singer than....
----
Loading...
|
| 4look4rd The Sasquatch Posts: 834 From: USA  |
I really enjoy this album, although I do like Death..... I consider this album better than any thing Death ever released specially because Im not really into Chuck's voice
Loading...
|
| Raziel X Posts: 117 From: Slovak Republic  |
Loading...
|
| K✞ulu Seeker of Truth Posts: 2570 From: Czech Republic  |
A nice review, man. I didn't notice it was written by you the last time I read it... But now I kinda remember you
---- Savor what you feel and what you see Things that may not seem important now But may be tomorrow R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner Satan was a Backstreet Boy
Loading...
|
| Stalker Lone wanderer Posts: 2705 From: Serbia |
Written by K✞ulu on 13.06.2008 at 17:41 Hehehe, thanks for the support dude. 
----
Loading...
|
| Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920 From: Italy  |
great album, great review...anything more to say?ah, R.I.P. chuck..
Loading...
|
| Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955 From: Brazil  |
Indeed a good album, the first song ''Consumed'' is definitely the worse, too slow in certain parts, and when you think it will get heavy, it just goes back to same rythm with ocasional silences, a little annoying.. But is followed by the exellent ''Breaking the Broken'', one of the best in the work, along with ''When The Link Becomes Missing''. A thing about this album is that the larger tracks are the worse, even the epic songtitle song does'nt have much of special... The truth actually is that i didn't enjoy this album the way i thought i was gonna.. it simply felt weird, like in Death acclaimed albuns, that to me seem always overrated.
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
Loading...
|
| K✞ulu Seeker of Truth Posts: 2570 From: Czech Republic |
Written by Uirapuru on 09.03.2009 at 09:06 Wow, for me the first track is a masterpiece from the start of the bass lines to the absolutely amazing and fitting-in solo at the end. And as far as the overratedness, how many times have you listened to this record? If it's only once or twice, it's not enough to judge a CD properly. I think I got into this album only after maybe five listen. Before that, it really felt weird. Of course, you may have your own taste and all, so of course I am trying to convince you that this is a great album and you should love it.
---- Savor what you feel and what you see Things that may not seem important now But may be tomorrow R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner Satan was a Backstreet Boy
Loading...
|
| Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955 From: Brazil |
Written by K✞ulu on 09.03.2009 at 09:35 I have only listen to this álbum 2 times.. after that I just choose my favorites and skip the ones I don't like. Its really not even close to enough for a fair verdict, but it really felt weird to me? I mean, the talent is there, it just doesn't look good to me? the ''spasmatic pace stops'' those breaks in the riffs that I really hate in Death are here too? a little less in my favorite tracks that I listed in the other post? its like, spasmatic riff, killer solo, and then spasmatic riff again, but this time with a better vocalist (and of course, in a different style, and different song structures). Anyway, im not a expert or anything, but this kind of progressive metal with death metal elements doesn't work for me. I will give this album a chance, as I usually do for works that have proven quality.. but it seems like it is just not for my ears?
---- ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
Loading...
|
| K✞ulu Seeker of Truth Posts: 2570 From: Czech Republic |
Written by Uirapuru on 09.03.2009 at 10:24 Makes perfect sense.
---- Savor what you feel and what you see Things that may not seem important now But may be tomorrow R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner Satan was a Backstreet Boy
Loading...
|
| Stalker Lone wanderer Posts: 2705 From: Serbia |
Written by K✞ulu on 09.03.2009 at 09:35 You are totally right, more progressive and complex albums need more listening, you cant get all the bits together from the first try. Otherwise it would sell like britney spears and be on radio 24/7. When I first time listened to Death, I litteraly got headache, but now its one of my all time favorite bands. You just have to know where good things might be, and try to see them.
----
Loading...
|
| K✞ulu Seeker of Truth Posts: 2570 From: Czech Republic |
Written by Stalker on 09.03.2009 at 19:14 Oh yeah... the whole getting into Death experience is unforgettable. At first I started digging a few tracks off TSOP, then Symbolic; then I started loving those albums, then came ITP and Human; now these four are among my all-time favorites. But at the beginning everything was such a blur; Human was the hardest to get into. Sorry for the off-top...
---- Savor what you feel and what you see Things that may not seem important now But may be tomorrow R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner Satan was a Backstreet Boy
Loading...
|
| Galar Wicked Mung Posts: 598 From: USA  |
One of the most emotional albums that I beileve was ever devised.
---- YOUR ARGUMENT IS INVALID, SUCK A DICK
Loading...
|
| HardSide Posts: 381 From: USA |
|
| JÄY Metal slave Posts: 1567 From: USA  |
I like harsh vocals and clean ones, so this is cool...like parallel universe Death
Loading...
|
| stunner_300 Posts: 15 From: France  |
Loading...
|
| 4look4rd The Sasquatch Posts: 834 From: USA |
I agree this is not power metal, but it does have some influences here and there. Death Metal has always been close to Speed, so they share some common aspects, especially with US power metal. Regardless of what genre it falls under, this is an excellent album.
Loading...
|
Hits total: 9065 | This month: 13